Board Meeting Highlights – May 2020

The Dolores School Board met last night for their monthly meeting. The following were highlights of the meeting:

Financial Workshop was held one hour prior to the regular meeting to discuss the fiscally emergent situation in our state. The board heard from the superintendent and finance director as they presented their plan to decrease the overall budget by 6%. The board provided some additional guidance to the administration and asked them to work on a 10% decreased budget proposal as well. The board also requested a prioritized list of needed cuts to the budget. The current decreased budgets will not require taking funds from our reserve accounts at this time.

The board unanimously voted to postpone any effort in 2020 toward a bond initiative. It is their desire to demonstrate to the community their support in this difficult time.

In May, the board typically conducts their annual self evaluation. Due to the need to focus on the financial concerns, the board tabled this exercise until the June meeting.

In light of the pandemic, there is growing concern about the needs that will arise in the fall when students and teachers return to school. The board charged the district administration with putting together a plan of action. This plan is to address the many varied needs of our students and teachers.

Two board members, Lenetta Shull and Maegan Crowley, are part of the site selection group. They reported on the progress of the group thus far in selecting the best property for the future campus. It was discussed at length that the current state of our County and community are such that the board wants to be cognizant of any expenditures related to these projects. Maegan Crowley pointed out that it is important that the board continue to work on plans for the future even if the momentum is now slowed.

The end of the meeting brought some celebratory comments about the magnificent job our staff has done in providing remote learning to our students. Our school district has the highest percent of student participation than the other districts in the region. We are thankful for the dedication of teachers and students.

In the next board meeting, they will discuss the actual timeline for the building project due to the pandemic implications. They will also revisit the budget revisions and formally adopt the budget for the next fiscal year. The administration will present plans to the board about supports for our students and staff upon their return to school in the fall.